The impact of critical thinking skills on student pharmacist GPA at a historically Black university.

INTRODUCTION: Limited information is available regarding whether malleable factors such as critical thinking skills are associated with academic performance among underrepresented minority pharmacy students. This study assessed the relationship between critical thinking skills and grade point average (GPA) among pharmacy students attending a Historically Black College. METHODS: A cross sectional study design was utilized to evaluate the association between student's GPA and critical thinking skills. Demographic data and GPA were abstracted from student records. The health sciences reasoning test with numeracy was administered to pharmacy students at Howard University during the 2017 to 2018 academic year. Critical thinking scores were classified as weak, moderate, or strong/superior. A one way analysis of variance was conducted to ascertain if the average GPA differed based on critical thinking skills category. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine whether student's critical thinking skill category was associated with the cumulative GPA after accounting for other factors. RESULTS: Among 217 students, the mean GPA among students with a weak critical thinking skills score (3.22 ± 0.40) was lower compared to students with a strong/superior score (3.39 ± 0.33) with a p-value of 0.029. After adjusting for other factors, a strong/superior critical thinking skills score was associated with a higher GPA (p-value = 0.024) in comparison to weak critical thinking skills. CONCLUSION: Stronger critical thinking skills scores are associated with better academic performance among underrepresented minority pharmacy students.

Predictors of Academic Success in a Nontraditional Doctor of Pharmacy Degree Program at a Historically Black College and University.

Objective. Rapid changes in the current US health care system, especially in the fields of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, require practicing pharmacists to acquire new knowledge and skills. Despite the growth of opportunities for pharmacists within new spaces such as nanotechnology, informatics, and pharmacogenomics, those without a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree could be eliminated from consideration by employers who seek new graduates with more contemporary training and skills. The purpose of this study was to determine what associations exist between student success within a nontraditional Doctor of Pharmacy (NTDP) program and certain demographic factors.Methods. This quantitative longitudinal study was designed to determine which factors predict academic success among NTDP students entering the College of Pharmacy at Howard University. Academic success was measured by cumulative graduating grade point average (GPA). Data from four cohorts of students were used to develop multivariate linear regression models with several predictors including age, region of residence, citizenship status, previous pharmacy work background, and ethnicity.Results. The study sample included 81 students whose mean cumulative GPA was 3.44. A foreign-born African heritage was predictive of a GPA that was significantly higher in comparison to African Americans after adjusting for other factors.Conclusion. Findings showed that international students had a higher cumulative GPA in comparison to African American students in the NTDP program.